Jack Sheppard eBook

“I haven’t quite recovered the fright
I got in the Vell-Hole,” replied Abraham.

On returning to the audience-chamber, Jonathan found
the inanimate body of Thames Darrell lying where he
had left it; but, on examining it, he remarked that
the pockets were turned inside out, and had evidently
been rifled. Startled by this circumstance, he
looked around, and perceived that the trap-door,—­which
has been mentioned as communicating with a secret
staircase,—­was open. He, next, discovered
that Blueskin was gone; and, pursuing his scrutiny,
found that he had carried off all the banknotes, gold,
and letters,—­including, what Jonathan himself
was not aware of,—­the two packets which
he had abstracted from the person of Thames.
Uttering a terrible imprecation, Jonathan snatched
up the link, and hastily descended the stairs, leaving
the Jew behind him. After a careful search below,
he could detect no trace of Blueskin. But, finding
the cellar-door open, concluded he had got out that
way.

Returning to the audience-chamber in a by-no-means
enviable state of mind, he commanded the Jew to throw
the body of Thames into the Well Hole.

“Fool!” cried Wild, taking up the body,
“what are you afraid of? After all,”
he added, pausing, “he may be of more use to
me alive than dead.”

Adhering to this change of plan, he ordered Abraham
to follow him, and, descending the secret stairs once
more, carried the wounded man into the lower part
of the premises. Unlocking several doors, he came
to a dark vault, that would have rivalled the gloomiest
cell in Newgate, into which he thrust Thames, and
fastened the door.

“Go to the pump, Nab,” he said, when this
was done, “and fill a pail with water.
We must wash out those stains up stairs, and burn the
cloth. Blood, they say, won’t come out.
But I never found any truth in the saying. When
I’ve had an hour’s rest, I’ll be
after Blueskin.”

CHAPTER XV.

How Blueskin underwent the Peine Forte et Dure.

As soon as it became known, through the medium of
the public prints on the following day, that Jack
Sheppard had broken out of prison, and had been again
captured during the night, fresh curiosity was excited,
and larger crowds than ever flocked to Newgate, in
the hope of obtaining admission to his cell; but by
the governor’s express commands, Wild having
privately counselled the step, no one was allowed to
see him. A question next arose whether the prisoner
could be executed under the existing warrant,—­some
inclining to one opinion, some to another. To
settle the point, the governor started to Windsor,
delegating his trust in the interim to Wild, who took
advantage of his brief rule to adopt the harshest
measures towards the prisoner. He had him removed